Mileage run for status--what's the farthest you've gone?
I am posting this midtrip on an end of the year mileage run. My husband and I were dismayed to realize just how short we had fallen in our quest to maintain our status with United. So, we booked last minute tickets to IAH from LHR to make up for the miles we lacked. I've seen on Flyertalk that others have also gone on end of the year mileage runs, so I was curious to see how far others had actually gone to achieve/maintain status.
There was a mistake fare to SEA last year that allowed unlimited transfers. I did EWR-HNL-IAH-SEA and I know many people added a stop or two in South America and/or Anchorage. I did EWR-IST a couple weeks ago (26 hrs on the ground) and just booked JFK-HNL-IAD-HNL for $436. 2 hrs on the ground in HNL.
Was that to maintain status? Or were you really crazy?
A bit from A and a bit from B.
Quote:
Originally Posted by njcommodore
There was a mistake fare to SEA last year that allowed unlimited transfers. I did EWR-HNL-IAH-SEA and I know many people added a stop or two in South America and/or Anchorage. I did EWR-IST a couple weeks ago (26 hrs on the ground) and just booked JFK-HNL-IAD-HNL for $436. 2 hrs on the ground in HNL.
And back to HNL or back to NYC through IAD? Just wondering about that second HNL.....
Programs: UA GS (.560MM), AA CK (2.5MM miles), IHG Royal Ambassador, Global Entry
Posts: 384
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsquared37
A bit from A and a bit from B.
Funny stuff. About five years ago, I flew from ORD - HKG to have dinner with an important client. However, I had an equally important meeting in Boston the following day so I ended up not getting a hotel room in HKG, staying on the ground in HKG for about 12 hours, and then flying out the same day I arrived to get to Boston through ORD. This was not a mileage run. People thought I was crazy as well.
Last edited by Xyzzy; Dec 30, 12 at 8:43 am..
Reason: Fixed UBB code
Programs: UA Premier Plat, PC Gold, Marriot Silver
Posts: 671
Quote:
Originally Posted by RealFan
Funny stuff. About five years ago, I flew from ORD - HKG to have dinner with an important client. However, I had an equally important meeting in Boston the following day so I ended up not getting a hotel room in HKG, staying on the ground in HKG for about 12 hours, and then flying out the same day I arrived to get to Boston through ORD. This was not a mileage run. People thought I was crazy as well.
I've flown NY-SYD for lunch. The crew thought I was crazy.
What did you have for lunch?
I've only done 2 runs. One was LAX-BOS where there is a Legal Seafood in the UA terminal. With a 90 min layover, I had a bowl of chowder and a lobster. There was at least one other pax who did the same run. I sat next to him on LAX-BOS, and ran into him back at LAX in the terminal.
This year I did my first MR EWR-IAD-HNL-EWR with about an hour or 2 on the ground. Same plane that flew IAD-HNL also flew HNL-EWR. I was pleasantly surprised when I upgraded all flights with 1 RPU.
Programs: UA MM PG, Hertz 5*, National Executive Emerald, Starwood Gold
Posts: 1,577
Many trips over the years to Asia. When I was in grad school in upstate NY, I flew home to the SF Bay Area by driving to YYZ and flying YYZ-LHR-SFO.
This is the first time in a long time that I haven't done a year-end push of some sort (my natural flying tends to get me somewhere between gold and 1K). In 2012 I've been a platinum, and frankly my upgrade percentage has been so atrocious that I decided it wasn't worth flying any extra to get Platinum again, so I'll fall back to my MM gold status.
